How To Prevent Hand And Wrist Pain While Crocheting

Everyone that crochets experiences it at one time or another - the tired, sore, stiff and painful hands, fingers and wrists that are common when overindulging in their favorite hobby activity. As we age these issues become more frequent and severe in scope as our muscles and ligaments are not nearly as flexible as they were in our youth. Even for those in reasonably good shape, 8 or 10 hours of non-stop crocheting can be more than can be handled comfortably, but there are a few tips to keep that yarn moving while avoiding the pain.

The first step to prevent hand and wrist pain while crocheting is to properly prepare both your crocheting tools and your body position before starting a session. Make certain that you are seated in a comfortable position with some type of support available for your forearms. If none is available a small pillow placed under your forearm near the elbow works out splendidly. To lessen the impact of grasping a hard crochet hook you can either wrap the hooks in rubber bands, small pieces of cut rubber or even those rubber grips that are common on ink pens. The basic idea is to keep every aspect of crocheting on the "soft" side, avoiding undue contact with objects that lack the ability to absorb the energy of movement.

Changing the manner in which you grasp the crochet hook is another important aspect of preventing hand and wrist pain while crocheting. For example, crochet for 15 or 20 minutes with your palm facing upward on your hand that holds the crochet hook and then switch to your palm facing down for the next 20 minutes. Stop crocheting totally every half-hour and stretch and flex your finger and wrists to keep the blood flowing freely, and the simple action should make a noticeable difference in soreness the next day.

Lastly, listen to warning signs that your body may give you that a break in your activity is necessary. When pain becomes an issue in crocheting take a week or two off from your hobby to give your muscles and tendons a chance to recuperate and rest.